Weatherford State Rep. Phil King Wants to Crack Down on Handicapped Parking Fraud

It'd be a stretch to call handicapped parking fraud a scourge, but it is a perennial inconvenience to people for whom the spaces are reserved, and a source of frustration for able-bodied Dallasites forced to walk a few extra feet, sometimes in the bright sunshine, IS THERE NO VALET HERE WHAT THE HELL?

The illegal parkers we encountered on the ridealong were all spur-of-the-moment scofflaws who, say, pulled their Jag into a vacant space at NorthPark so they could get in and out of Neiman's in a jiffy. Others put a lot more thought into their crime, producing counterfeit placards to hang from their rear-view mirrors (the officer showed me a drawer full of these that had been confiscated).

Some actually apply for and receive valid placards from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, falsely claiming to be disabled. There's an assigned space in hell for these people, and it's a long-ass walk from the cafeteria.

This last strategy is also the target of a bill filed this week by Rep. Phil King, a Weatherford Republican. HB 757 imposes a civil penalty of $750 to $1,000 on any health provider who falsely claims that a patient is disabled for the purposes of securing handicapped parking.

So Rep. King wants to eliminate an under-the-table revenue source for physicians based upon fraud? Although a criminal penalty seems more apt for this deceit, I will say, "Oh my, for once I agree with a Republican!"

Note: This does not constitute an endorsement since he is a Republican.

1. a friend of mine does this

He has a legit hang tag, but it belongs to his wife. He is the only driver, so he uses it regularly, even takes it on trips when she's not with him. And get this, he's in charge of professionalism at his organization.

4. CALIFORNIA CHARGES $250 FOR DISABLED TAG.

i know there are people who do not require the disabled tag and there are those who do require disabled tag. So far this healthy old dude has not gotten the disabled tag, but my wife is getting old and she may require assistance in the future.

Years ago my wife had a broken arm, required oxygen to breath, and had a bad limp. I parted in a disable spot at a hospital and the local cop wanted to give me a ticket. He saw my wife and he realized that my wife was DISABLED. I hope others who are injured use the disabled spot even though they do not have the TAG. The disabled spot is FOR those that are disabled, not just those who have a TAG...........